EAST PEORIA, Ill. – The No. 7-ranked UIndy softball team (43-6) completed a memorable run at the GLVC Tournament on Sunday, culminating in the program's third conference championship. The Greyhounds battled back through the losers' bracket, winning five elimination games, including twice defeating second-seeded McKendree Sunday to hoist the league trophy.
 
With their backs against the wall most of the week, the top-seeded Greyhounds outscored their opponents by a combined score 59-8 after moving down to the losers' bracket. The exclamation point came in Sunday evening's winner-take-all final versus McKendree, as the Hounds hung 11 runs on the board in the first inning alone on the way to a dominating 16-2 victory.
   
The Hounds now await the release of the 2021 NCAA DII Midwest Region field and seeding. The announcement will be made on NCAA.com on Sunday, May 16 at 10 p.m. ET. Regardless of seeding, the regional will take place May 19-21 in Allendale, Mich.
 
GAME 1 | UIndy 5, McK 3
The Hounds connected on a pair of timely home runs to earn the victory. Brooke Montgomery erased an early 2-0 deficit with a single swing in the third inning, tying the score with a two-run shot to left center.
 
The Bearcats managed an unearned run an inning later to retake the lead, but in the sixth inning, freshman Sydnee Perry delivered the biggest hit of her young career to lift the Hounds to a second-and-deciding game. With the Hounds down one in the sixth with one on and two out, the McCordsville, Ind., product sent a drive to right center to put the Hounds up for good.
 

?? | Here's your game winner from Sydnee Perry!#GLVCsb | @UIndySoftball pic.twitter.com/ADQ1jqa6PC

— UIndy Athletics (@UIndyAthletics) May 9, 2021

 
Fellow-freshman Kenzee Smith got the win in the circle, coming on in relief and allowing just one hit over the final 4 1/3 innings to move to 21-2 on the year.
 
GAME 2 | UIndy 16, McK 2 (5 innings)
The night cap was all but over before it started, as the Greyhounds exploded for a massive 11-run rally in the top of the first, sending 14 batters to the plate in the inning. Both Montgomery and Gianni Iannantone earned two hits in the frame, including a three-run bomb from the latter to cap the outburst.
 
Smith (22-2) got the pitching win in game two as well, pitching four innings before deferring to senior Hallie Waters for a scoreless fifth. Meanwhile, six Greyhound hitters scored at least twice, with Haylie Foster crossing home three times. She and Montgomery each had three RBIs while Iannantone had four ribbies.